Part of the pedagogical utility of charts is not merely conveying the information, but ensuring that the information is retained. One immediate downside to a world of only scatter and dot plots is that our charts would all look similar, and so unlikely to be differentiated much in memory. Borkin et al. [1]}, [2]} find that charts with pictorial elements and other visual features of interest are more memorable than plain and otherwise unadorned charts. Kostelnick [3]} recommends occasional deviations from minimalist design in the service of “clarity” which can include such factors as engaging the reader's attention. Many of the most impactful charts in visualization have had non-standard or otherwise less than precise forms (e.g., Fig REF ).
